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CRISPR technologies are among the most powerful advancements in modern biology because they accurately manipulate the genomes of living cells and have the potential of curing various genetic diseases. This study examined the attitudes of undergraduate health science students towards somatic cell and germline gene editing therapies and whether supportive or critical supplemental literature differently influenced students' stances. Fifty-two (n = 52) students were given a writing assignment where they were presented with two case scenarios involving their own hypothetical child who had been diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The first scenario presented students with the option for somatic cell therapy, while the second provided a cure using germline therapies. The responses were scored to determine the overall support for CRISPR therapies in these situations. A thematic analysis was conducted to determine what themes affected decision-making, and if supplemental readings affected outcomes. Findings showed that students were especially accepting of somatic cell therapies while half accepted germline therapies. The two most common themes from those accepting of CRISPR use were to 'remove/prevent/treat human genetic diseases and cancer', and to 'improve quality of life'. Different types of supplemental literature did not affect the outcomes of this study.

The United States takes a federalist approach to pandemic responses while the bulk of pandemic powers sits at the state level. Thus, comprehensive accounts of how state health officials managed the crisis and how the federal government affected those efforts are needed to better understand the governmental response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This article reports the results of semistructured interviews with 29 state-level policy actors from 16 US states. Interviewees discussed multiple aspects of the US federal COVID-19 response that affected the response in their states, including communications with the public, intergovernmental communications, and federal actions regarding various aspects of health service preparedness including emergency funding, procurement, testing capacity, vaccine development and distribution, and data systems. This research enriches the discussion about US pandemic preparedness and response, and indicates that alignment of public communications across government levels, enhanced intergovernmental communication, inclusion of rural perspectives, and federal investment in and sustainment of health service preparedness are key factors that can improve future US pandemic responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article, titled "Editorial: Development of circadian clock functions, volume II," discusses the development and organization of circadian clocks in multicellular organisms. The central pacemaker of this system is the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), which is synchronized to the environment by light-dark cycles. The article explores the adjustments in circadian organization that occur during development and aging, as well as potential signaling molecules involved in circadian entrainment. It also highlights the effects of the circadian clock on physiology and neurovascular function. The article emphasizes the need for further research to understand the mechanisms of coordination among circadian clocks in different systems. [Extracted from the article]

Millions of Americans aged 65+ are socially isolated and millions more report feeling lonely. Social isolation and loneliness in older adults were compounded by stay-at-home orders and other COVID-19 prevention measures. Although many Americans experienced no difficulties transitioning to the use of electronic devices as their primary means of communication and connection, some older adults were not similarly able to espouse this shift. Our aim was to reduce the impact of social isolation on older adults, increase their comfort in expressing feelings of loneliness, and assist them in acquiring technology skills and accessing telehealth and community supports. Participants received wellness calls for conversation, resource access and technology-based support. Most participants reported decreased loneliness and increased connectedness after the calls; half reported increased ease in expressing their feelings. Programs that provide phone-based support for older adults may reduce loneliness and increase social connectedness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

INTRODUCTION: To assist American Society of Aeromedical Specialists members in preparing for initial or periodic written examinations for those educated on the topics defined by the American College of Preventive Medicine GME requirements and wishing to become certified or re-certified under the American Board of Preventive Medicine; and to provide education on relevant topics for those interested in Aerospace and Preventive Medicine, the ASAMS education committee assembles topics for review by knowledgeable invited experts in the field. TOPICs: Introduction to the Aerospace Medicine Board Exam Aerospace Physiology Alcohol/Fatigue, Situation Awareness, and Human Factors Analysis and Classification System ('HFACS') Flight Environment Example Test Questions APPLICATION: The knowledge gained in this panel can be applied by the attendee to preparation for the knowledge examination in both the preventive medicine core and the aerospace medicine specialty examination. Others considering potential involvement in clinical Aerospace Medicine or aerospace medicine relevant research may find the review topics interesting and educational. Preventive Medicine Core Content Outline: 25% - I. Clinical Preventive Medicine 25% - II. Public Health/Population Health Medicine Knowledge 20% - III. Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Informatics Knowledge 15% - IV. Environmental Medicine 15% - V. Strategic Healthcare Leadership Knowledge Aerospace Medicine Content Outline: 40% - The Flight Environment 30% - Clinical Aerospace Medicine 20% - Operational Aerospace Medicine 10% - Management and Administration RESOURCES: American Board of Preventive Medicine -- American Board of Preventive Medicine -- The American Board of Preventive Medicine was established to promote the health and safety of the American people through our high standards in the certification and maintenance of certification in the profession of preventive health. (theabpm.org) American College of Preventive Medicine- American College of Preventive Medicine | ACPM Learning Objectives 1. To improve the understanding of human factors involved in the operation of aviation and space vehicles, and the key elements of the human-machine interface which can affect both operability and performance, e.g. Alcohol/Fatigue, and Situation Awareness; plus explanation of the Human Factors Analysis and Classification System ('HFACS'). 2. To familiarize the audience with an understanding of key principles of aerospace physiology and the impact of the dynamics on the vehicle/aircraft flight crew. 3. To outline the important elements of the flight environment which influence flight dynamics and affect human health and crew performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epidemiological studies have shown that circadian rhythm disruption (CRD) is associated with the risk of breast cancer. However, the role of CRD in mammary gland morphology and aggressive basal mammary tumorigenesis and the molecular mechanisms underlying CRD and cancer risk remain unknown. To investigate the effect of CRD on aggressive tumorigenesis, a genetically engineered mouse model that recapitulates the human basal type of breast cancer was used for this study. The effect of CRD on mammary gland morphology was investigated using wild-type mice model. The impact of CRD on the tumor microenvironment was investigated using the tumors from LD12:12 and CRD mice via scRNA seq. ScRNA seq was substantiated by multiplexing immunostaining, flow cytometry, and realtime PCR. The effect of LILRB4 immunotherapy on CRD-induced tumorigenesis was also investigated. Here we identified the impact of CRD on basal tumorigenesis and mammary gland morphology and identified the role of LILRB4 on CRD-induced lung metastasis. We found that chronic CRD disrupted mouse mammary gland morphology and increased tumor burden, and lung metastasis and induced an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment by enhancing LILRB4a expression. Moreover, CRD increased the M2-macrophage and regulatory T-cell populations but decreased the M1-macrophage, and dendritic cell populations. Furthermore, targeted immunotherapy against LILRB4 reduced CRD-induced immunosuppressive microenvironment and lung metastasis. These findings identify and implicate LILRB4a as a link between CRD and aggressive mammary tumorigenesis. This study also establishes the potential role of the targeted LILRB4a immunotherapy as an inhibitor of CRD-induced lung metastasis.

Measuring animal behavior over long timescales has been traditionally limited to behaviors that are easily measurable with real-time sensors. More complex behaviors have been measured over time, but these approaches are considerably more challenging due to the intensive manual effort required for scoring behaviors. Recent advances in machine learning have introduced automated behavior analysis methods, but these often overlook long-term behavioral patterns and struggle with classification in varying environmental conditions. To address this, we developed a pipeline that enables continuous, parallel recording and acquisition of animal behavior for an indefinite duration. As part of this pipeline, we applied a recent breakthrough self-supervised computer vision model to reduce training bias and overfitting and to ensure classification robustness. Our system automatically classifies animal behaviors with a performance approaching that of expert-level human labelers. Critically, classification occurs continuously, across multiple animals, and in real time. As a proof-of-concept, we used our system to record behavior from 97 mice over two weeks to test the hypothesis that sex and estrogen influence circadian rhythms in nine distinct home cage behaviors. We discovered novel sex- and estrogen-dependent differences in circadian properties of several behaviors including digging and nesting rhythms. We present a generalized version of our pipeline and novel classification model, the "circadian behavioral analysis suite," (CBAS) as a user-friendly, open-source software package that allows researchers to automatically acquire and analyze behavioral rhythms with a throughput that rivals sensor-based methods, allowing for the temporal and circadian analysis of behaviors that were previously difficult or impossible to observe.